Friary Preschool Maldon
The Friary Pre-school is a small friendly pre-school located in the heart of Maldon. It is part of Adult Community Learning and we give priority for spaces to the children of parents/carers attending courses.
About Us
The Friary Pre-school is a small friendly pre-school located in the heart of Maldon. It is part of Adult Community Learning.
The pre-school is run by fully qualified staff and provides care for children aged 2-5. The maximum number of children at any session is 20 with a minimum of 3 members of staff. The small number in our group enables us to build close relationships with the children and their families.
We have a large, enclosed garden which the children access daily.
We use an online record keeping system called ‘Tapestry’, which gives parents/carers instant access to their child’s learning journey and the opportunity to add observations from home. It is also a great tool for parents to keep in contact with their child’s keyperson.
Rated Good by Ofsted in May 2023
The inspector said ‘Children excitedly arrive at pre-school and leave their parents with ease. They show curiosity and eagerness to learn and are keen to investigate the activities provided. Children demonstrate they are comfortable and feel safe in the child friendly, familiar environment. They relish their time outdoors and engage in play with their friends. They have established close bonds with all the staff, who speak knowledgeably about the children attending. It is evident through conversation that they fully consider and respect children’s individuality. Staff use assessment well and invest time in getting to know the children. Staff successfully plan activities and a varied curriculum around children’s interests and what they need to learn next.’ View more information
We are also one of the only settings in Essex to achieve a Good Beginnings Early Years Gold award as an Autism Friendly Setting.
Our Team
We are a small, dedicated team of experienced staff, who between us have over 100 years of childcare experience!!! We work together to plan individually for the needs of each child in our care helping them towards achieving their full potential. We are all trained in Paediatric first aid and have designated officers for Safeguarding and Special educational needs. We build close relationships with our families, taking care to listen to what parents have to tell us about their children and work with them to plan for the needs of their child. We pride ourselves on our inclusivity, doing our utmost to make everyone feel welcome and valued.
A parent commented ‘I have been made to feel that what my child needs is important and that my child is important, and he is not just a statistic’. Another one commented ‘Caring, considerate and knowledgeable staff who go the extra mile to meet all my son’s needs’
We like the children to learn and develop through self- exploration and provide open ended equipment and materials for them to investigate. We follow their lead supporting and encouraging where needed.
We like to get involved in the local community and have taken part in Maldon carnival, Maldon in Bloom and have links with a local care home.
Important Information
Opening Times & Contact Details
Opening times:
We are open Monday – Friday term time only
Morning sessions 09.00 -12.00
Lunch Hour 12.00-13.00
Afternoon sessions 13.00 –16.00
All day session 09.00 –16.00
Address: Carmelite Way, Maldon, CM9 5FX
Email: jeanette.stutely@essex.gov.uk
Phone: 03330132628
Session Fees
Prices per Child
- 2-3 year olds £6.50 per hour
- 3 year olds £6.00 per hour (non funded)
- 3-5 year olds £5.50 per hour (additional to funding)
- Lunch hour £5.50
We are registered with the local authority to offer free places to eligible two, three and four year olds. Registration for 2 year old funding can now be done by parents/carers online. Funded two year olds are entitled to 15 hours free childcare per week. This funding can only be used by one nominated setting and is not transferrable except in exceptional circumstances.
Parents do not have to register for three and four year old funding, it automatically starts from the term after the child’s third birthday and is also for 15 hours per week. Parents/carers can choose to split this funding between two settings if they wish to.
Additional support with childcare costs via various schemes is now being offered by the government including an additional 15 hours per week for working parents. An explanation of all government childcare support can be found at www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
Are you Attending a Class at ACL?
You can apply for help from the funds mentioned below if you are 19+ as of 31st August 2024.
• Discretionary Learner Support Fund (DLSF)
• Advanced Learner Loan Bursary Fund
• Tailored Learning Bursary Fund (TL)
The funds can help you with the cost of Childcare
Financial assistance with childcare is available for the timetabled hours of your course. To claim support, you must be using an Ofsted registered childcare provider and not be in receipt of Childcare support from any other Agency.
Payments for childcare will be based on your attendance and excludes childcare costs outside term time. If you withdraw from the course or have payments stopped due to poor attendance, you will be responsible for the payment of outstanding fees to the childcare provider.
If your application is to cover costs for 3 children or more, this will be reviewed by the DLSF panel and support will be given where budget allows. Please note that Early Years Education Entitlement (EYEE) must be used before making a claim for assistance with childcare from ACL.
Childcare will not pay:
• For Christmas, Easter and Summer holiday periods and periods of half term.
• Deposits, retainers or to make advance payments.
• If the learner changes the number of days or hours their child attends their childcare provider and fails to inform the College Childcare Administrator.
• Food for your child.
ACL reserves the right to cap childcare fees if they are considered to be excessive. Funds are capped and allocated at the discretion of the ACL Support Fund administrators, in line with current policy. The funds are limited, and applications received when the fund is low or exhausted may be refused childcare funding. ACL reserves the right to alter or amend the childcare funding policy at any time. Applications will be dealt with on a strict date received basis and dependent on all paperwork being fully completed with all the required accompanying documentation. Incomplete applications will be returned to learners.
Eligibility does not mean an entitlement and no guarantee can be given that funds will be available when you apply. If there is a high demand on the funds, awards may be given at a reduced rate
For more information on Childcare support when attending classes ask at ACL reception.
Feedback
You guys have supported our son in every single way even when we had no idea how to support him, he’s learnt so much by being with you. Beyond that you have supported us as a family. Above and beyond doesn’t even get close to how I feel about what you do.
Leanne
Parent
I live over 20 miles away and I will continue to send my children as long as practically possible. I cannot rate this nursery highly enough.
Charlotte
Parent